Good morning,
Today marks the 77th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps. It would be another three 1/2 months before the Nazi regime unconditionally surrendered. We tend to think of the Nazis as an overwhelming surge of unanimity among the German people. But that was not the case. The Nazis were a small populist group of angry people who thought their country was impure and damaged by the presence and power of minorities. They never won a popular vote. They attracted supporters through a nationalist mantra and promises to fix the post-Weimer German economy and the damage caused by the Treaty of Versailles forced on a defeated Germany at the end of The Great War. It rose as a populist movement that competed with the Communists for dominance. In the early 1930s, one could not have predicted which of these two extreme ideologies would be victorious, or whether democracy might somehow survive. In these dark days, with the rise of right-wing autocracies around the world, a totalitarian emboldened China and a dangerous mischievous Russia taking us to the brink of war, the mantra “Never Again” might be followed by the rejoinder “Never Repeat.”
NATIONALISM GONE AWRY
There was a time when there was a nationalistic wave that permeated America, taught in the schools, observed from the pulpit, inculcated in children. It was not “America is always right.” It was a sense that our nation was based upon certain ideals, like civil rights, democracy, the dignity of man, the opportunity to succeed, the valuing of education, and a sense of civic responsibility. We didn’t learn that American history was a story without its darker side; although today more attention is given to a more balanced discussion of the darker aspects of our history. This is not to suggest that people believed that all was right with America—but there was a sense of pride about the aspirational ideals to which we strive.
What the far right has done is to pervert the idea of national pride. When one sees a rally these days where the American flag is being displayed, one assumes it is a MAGA rally or an exclusionary far-right demonstration. Patriotism has been morphed into an “America first” ideology that refuses to acknowledge our role in the world as a superpower that comes to the aid of countries in need, supports freedom and condemns inhumanity. It assumes that the goal of forming “a more perfect union” is complete. It is insular, yet not introspective.
Meanwhile from the far left we are being taught that America is fundamentally based upon flawed ideals and the exploitation of others and that virtually the entirety of our history must be viewed through the prism of oppression. To many from this side of the ledger, there is not much to celebrate of the American experiment. We fundamentally must be bad and, in response to the hijacking of patriotism by the right, there is almost an anti-American streak from the left. We are, to many of these people, so iredeemably flawed that it is difficult to imagine moving forward in concert with others who might not share all of the same policy objectives.
And so the forces of our political extremes are working different narratives that do little to maintain a cohesive core of shared values and a shared journey forward. To the MAGA crowd, we should return to “good old days” that may not have been so good to very many. To the left, the existence of flaws poison the entirety of the enterprise. One narrative celebrates only our successes, blindly failing to acknowledge how we might improve. The other wears a hair shirt of shame, unable to acknowledge our ideals or accomplishments.
With the very real possibility of a European conflict, continued Chinese expansion in the South China Sea (and beyond), further stress on trade and supply chains, and the continued destruction of our environment, this is hardly the time to retreat from our ideals and our leadership. But to do that requires leaders with lofty goals, humility and the ability to articulate a rallying cry for us all to get behind. They aren’t readily apparent today. I am hopeful.
Best regards,
Glenn
Well said. There are groups in between the far right and far left. Sadly, the far extremes seem to have a disproportionate influence.
Having pride in ones country, whichever country that is…is a beautiful thing. It’s okay to consider your own home first. Embracing one’s culture is what makes us all unique. Couple that with respect for all mankind is what brings about true and lasting meaningful peace.